Published: May 22, 2009 09:27 pm      

Lower but ... — 05/26/09

Students still will be paying more to attend college in state.

Students attending Kentucky’s state universities and community and technical colleges will have to dig a little deeper into their pockets this fall to pay for their education. The good news is that they will not have to dig as deeply as they have in recent years,

The Council on Postsecondary Education Friday approved tuition increases of 5 percent for the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville, 4 percent for the regional universities —including Morehead State University — and 3.3 percent for Ashland Community and Technical College and the state’s other community and technical colleges.

Council spokeswoman Sue Patrick was quick to point out that the increases are the lowest for undergraduate resident students in more than a decade, and she’s right. In most recent years, double-digit tuition increases have been approved.

Thus, tuition increases that are rather small by comparison must be seen as a positive. But it still means it will cost hundreds of dollars more for students to attend a state university or community and technical college this fall, and for students from families of modest means that means college will be a little less affordable. In a state that desperately needs more college graduates, that’s not a positive.